Massage appliance.



` n PATBNTED JUNE 9, 1903. J. H. POWERS. MASSAGBAAYPPLIANGE. PPLUTION'YILED 1113.24. 1903` N0 MODEL,

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, UNITED ASTATES atented J'uneg, 1903.

PATENT EEIOE.

MASSAGE APPLlANCE.

SPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 730,569, dated June 9, 1903. i Application filed February 2.4, 1903. Serial No. 144,701. (No model.)

dence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Massage Appliances, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to an improvement in appliances used in the treatment of ailments or diseases by massage, and more particularly to a massage bag adapted to give the movements usually given by hand to the patient under treatment by the masseur. Y

In the treatment of certain ailments or .diseases of the bowels the massage has heretofore been done by hand, either by the massenr or by the patient himself by rubbing, kneading, or striking the abdomen.

The object of my invention is to provide a massage-bag to be used by the masseur or patient in place of the hands to give the different motions required on the patient in a more perfect manner and with less fatigue than by hand.

My invention consists in the peculiar and novel construction of an air-tight bag, with a plurality of ribson the under side, made of any air-tight iexible material, preferably of fabric and rubber, and capable of being indated to any degree of rigidity desired with means for inflafing, as will be more fully set forth hereinafter. v

Figure lis a side view of my massage-bag, showing the bag and the ribs on the under side of the bag inflated. Fig. 2 is asectional view taken lengthwise through the bagand central rib,showing the means for infiating the bag and hollowrib's; and Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view through the center of the bag, showing the plurality of hollow ribs on the under side and the auxiliary chamber connecting the hollow ribs for inflating.

In the drawings, a represents the top, and

b the under body, of my massage-bag, made.

of an air-tight iiexible material, such as'fabric and rubber, secured together in .the usual way and shaped to form the main inflatingchamber c, the bag when inflated having a rectangular shape with rounded corners, a slightly-rounded top,and a half-spherical un- -has' heretofore been possible. iniiating the bag and ribs by the user strength- Vens the lungs, and when not inflated the bag bag,

der body. and connecting with the chamber c is the inlet-duct a', connecting with the valve a2, having the mouthpiece a3 for infiating the bag. On the under body of the bag and forming a part of it are the hollow flexible ribs b' h', ex-

Exlending upward from the topI tending length wise of the bag. These ribs are closed at one end and have the open ends b2 b2 Opening in to lthe auxiliary chamber h3, having the central inlet-duct h4, con nectng with the valve b5, having the mouthpiece h6 for in4 dating the hollow flexible ribs. By this form of construction the bag and ribs are iniated independent of eachother to any degree of rigidity required.

It is evident that the auxiliary chamber b3, with its inlet-d uct b4, could be dispensed with, if vdesired,without materially changing my invention. In this construction the open ends of theribs would enter the main chamber c, and they ywould be inflated at the same time and with the same pressure as the main cham ber.

In the use of my massage-bag the ribbed part of the .bag is' used on that part of the patient requiring the massage treatment. The masseur rubs, presses, rolls, and strikes with the bag.l By the novel construction of the bag and ribs and by itspneumatic action a more beneficial result is obtained than The action of may be flattened or rolled for storage or shipping purposes. v

Having thus .described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Iatentl.' A massage-bag made of a flexible air-tight material, apluralityof ribs formed on the surface ofthe bag, and means vfor inflatingthe for the purpose as described.

2. Amassage-bag made of a iiexible air-tight material, a plurality of hollow Aflexible"iibs on the bag, means for inflating the bag, and means for iniiating the ribs, for the purpose as described.

3. A massage-bag made of a flexible ai r-tight material, a plurality of hollow flexible ribs forming a part' ofthe bag, and means for in Hating the bag and the ribs, for the purpose as described.

4. A massage-bag made of a flexible air-tight material, such as fabric and rubber, and forming a main air-chamber having an inlet-duct, a plurality of hollow llexible ribs forming a part of the bag, an auxiliary chamber connectinf,r with the hollow ribs and. having an inletducr,means forinflating the bag through the inlet-ductin the main chamber,and means for inflating the ribs through the inlet-duct in the auxiliary chamber, for the purpose as described.

' 5. In a massage-bag made of a flexible airtight material, Such as fabric and rubber, the combination With the top a and the under body b forming the air-chamber c having the inlet-cluct a connecting with the valve a2 hav- Witnesses:

ADA E. HAGERTY, J. A. MILLER, Jr. 

